PREHISTORIC TIMES
In this unit you will:
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learn about the Paleolithic Age
learn about Homonisation
learn about Neolithic Age
learn about the art oh the hunters
learn about how the early people lived
We have to go back in time one, two, three million years. Nobody knows when exactly the
first human beings lived on Earth. We call this period of time prehistory (pre – means
before). It is the period of time before people could read and write. We know about this time
from objects these people left behind, like bones, tools, weapons, clothes, tombs or paintings.
They were found and interpreted by archeologists.
Christian Jurgensen Thomsen (1788 – 1865), a director of a museum in Copenhagen,
Denmark, divided the Prehistoric Times into three periods:
1. Stone Age
2. Bronze Age
3. Iron Age
Test Yourself:
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5.
What is Prehistory?
When do you think the Ancient Times start?
Who was Christian Thomsen?
Which period in the history of a mankind is the oldest and the longest?
What did Christian Thomsen use as a guide to divide the Prehistoric Times into three
periods
PALEOLITHICAL AGE
1. Read the following article. After reading complete the chart below the
article.
Paleolithic Age or Old Stone Age is generally subdivided into:
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Old Paleolithic ( 3 000 000 – 250 000 BC)
Middle Paleoloithic ( 250 000 – 40 000 BC)
Young Paleolithic (40 000 – 8 000 BC)
Old Paleolithic (3 000 000 – 250 000 BC)
The first human-like creatures appeared on our planet in Africa c 3 000 000 years BC. These
man-apes came down from the trees and began to walk on two legs. The most complete manape skeleton was found in Ethiopia, East Africa in 1974. Its scientific name was
Australopithecus (meaning southern ape) and the skeleton was nicknamed Lucy.
2 000 000 years BC Homo Habilis – Handy man appeared. He was the first man to make
very primitive tools. Its fossils have been found in Eastern Africa and Java.
1 000 000 years BC Homo Erectus – Upright Man, Walking Man appeared in Africa.
Upright Man was a good hunter, food – gatherer and a nomad. He must have hunted in groups
because as an individual he was not able to hunt such large animals. He had bigger brain and
could make some sounds, nearly could talk. He could also make a fire and cook. He lived in
temporary dwellings – caves, later on in shelters as he was forced to move after animals. He
used a sharply pointed hand-axe with two cutting edges. Its fossils have been found in
Northern Africa, Java, Asia, Tanzania, and Germany
Middle Paleolithic (250 000 – 40 000 BC)
c 300 000 BC appeared Homo Sapiens - Wise Man and
Neanderthal Man.
The first described Neanderthal skeleton came from a cave in the
valley of the Neander River in Germany. In 1856 some workers
discovered a cave full of bones near the Neander River. The bones
were studied by professor Johann Carl Fuhlrott (1804 – 1877) who
gave the name to the Neanderthal Man.
c 100 000 BC Neanderthal Man appeared in Slovakia. In
Ganovce, High Tatras was found the brain that belonged to a
Neanderthal Man. This finding was saved by Jaroslav Petrbok.
The Neanderthal Man had a bigger brain, thicker bones and
strong muscles. He buried their dead in graves and often placed
tools and food beside the bodies. In most graves bear bones
were found, perhaps to them the bear was a sacred animal
whose bones might protect them in the life to come.
Young Paleolithic (40 000 – 8 000 BC)
Neanderthal Man died out c 40 000 BC and at much the same time an improved version of
Wise Man appeared who was called Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Physically he was almost as us.
he wore clothes of skin and made new tools as wooden spear, arrow, bow
AGE
DATE
TYPE OF MAN
DATE
LOCATION
TOOLS
WAYS
LIVING
OTHER
OF IMPORTANT
FEATURES
2. Look at the following pictures. Use the vocabulary below to talk about the life of
hunters.
scraper, wooden spear, cleaver, denticulate – a stone tool with a serrated edge,
sharpening a spear point, spearing a big meaty mammal, cutting up a large
mammal, scraping fat and flesh from a hide to clean it
3. HOMONISATION
What is homonisation?
Below each picture write down the name of a Man.
4. Explain the new words you have learned.
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prehistory
food gatherer
homo sapiens
tombs
nomad
hand – axe
fossils
physical appearance